Cunningham's Law

proper noun

A humorous law of Internet forums, stating that "The best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. InternethumorousA humorous law of Internet forums, stating that "The best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."

Origin

Supposedly proposed by programmer Ward Cunningham sometime in the early 1980s, but Cunningham himself denies having ever said it.

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Cite this entry
APA

Cunningham's Law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cunningham's%20Law

MLA

“Cunningham's Law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cunningham's%20Law. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cunningham's Law,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cunningham's%20Law.

Source: Cunningham's Law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.